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Meet Tom Lembeck, the proud owner of a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona 426 Hemi that sports a paint job so rare, it’s practically the unicorn of muscle cars. Since 2013, Tom’s been cruising around in one of only two ever built with the original F6 Spring Green Metallic color, turning heads and probably causing envy-induced whiplash. This car isn’t just a relic; it’s a rolling piece of automotive art that makes everyone green with envy—literally!
A collector of winged Mopars opens his garage to reveal a genuine 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, one of only 501 ever built to satisfy NASCAR’s homologation rules. This particular example is one of just 139 built with the 440 Magnum and a 4-speed manual. Find out what those fender flares are actually for, and why this car helped a stock car crack 200 mph first.
Ryan Brutt’s Auto Archaeologist series pulls back the curtain on a warehouse holding something few collectors ever see in one place: multiple Dodge Daytonas, a Talladega, and a Superbird, Chrysler’s legendary aero-warriors built to dominate NASCAR’s high-banked ovals. Some have already been restored and are back on the road; others, including a damaged Talladega and 500, are waiting their turn. Part three of the series raises the question every serious collector eventually faces.
Chrysler never sold a 1971 Charger Daytona, which makes this winged car something close to impossible, a recreation built from prototype documentation over nearly a decade of work. Owners Gary and Pam Beineke added two details the history books never accounted for: a factory-style sunroof and a Hemi. Filmed by Lou Costabile at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, it is one of the most unusual Mopars you will see. Watch to hear how they finished a legend the factory only imagined.
This 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona in Hemi Orange was never really built for the street. It was Chrysler’s aerodynamic weapon for NASCAR’s superspeedways, so effective it was eventually banned, and this one carries the legendary 426 Hemi under its hood. Filmed at the Barrett-Jackson Collection Showroom in Scottsdale, the walkaround covers the details that separate a genuine winged car from a tribute and lets that Hemi announce itself. Watch to hear why collectors go quiet around cars like this.
Seven curious facts about Dodge, and exactly one of them is a deliberate lie planted to test you. From the 1968 Charger’s “Coke bottle” styling to the Viper’s Lamborghini-influenced V10 and the Dodge brothers’ tangled history with Henry Ford, every claim sounds just true enough and just strange enough to fool you. Can you spot the fake before the reveal? Lock in your guess and find out.
This Hellcat vs. Daytona Edition drag race looks like a mismatch before the lights even go green, and the horsepower gap says it is. But the Daytona name carries genuine NASCAR pedigree, tracing back to the first car ever to hit 200 mph on a closed circuit. Here’s the real story behind both nameplates.
The legendary winged Dodge Charger Daytona was built for exactly one model year, 1969, before NASCAR rule changes capping engines at 305 cubic inches effectively ended the aero-car era. By 1971, Dodge had already moved to an all-new, shorter third-generation Charger, and the Daytona name wouldn’t return to production Chargers until later in the decade. Here’s the real story behind the name.
The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was born out of necessity, but it became an icon of speed—and questionable fashion choices. With a nose piece that added 1,200 pounds of down-force and a rear wing that looked like it moonlighted as a surfboard, this car wasn’t winning beauty contests, but it sure won races. The 440 Magnum engine roared to 205 mph, while the optional 426 Hemi made it a rocket on wheels. Alas, the Daytona’s glory days ended with a new NASCAR rule, proving even legends need to retire.
This wing car belongs to one of the shortest-lived, most dominant classes NASCAR ever allowed on track. A towering rear wing and needle-nose front end were the product of an aerodynamics arms race between Dodge, Plymouth, and Ford that lasted barely two seasons. A single new rule about engine displacement is what finally grounded these cars for good – and made surviving examples legendary.
The 2017 Dodge Charger Daytona 392 packs a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 good for 485 horsepower and a mid-12-second quarter mile into a four-door sedan built to carry a family. Hellcat-inspired styling, forged 20-inch wheels, and six-piston Brembo brakes back up the numbers, all without the Hellcat’s price tag. It is proof that Dodge’s definition of a “sleeper” still means business.